Neckband-shaper.



UNITE *rares PATENT CFFICE.

DAVID n. Asi-IMAN, on? ALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 712,752, dated. November 4,:.1 902.

Application filed August 23,1901. Serial No. 72,97%.v (No model.)

To all whom, tm/ay concern:

Be it known that I, DAvID BQ ASHMAN, a citizen of the United States, residingat Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented cer-l In laundering shirts itis customary to ironY The two portions ot' the the neckband first. neckband are then connected together by a collar-button. The body portion of the shirt is then drawn over a bosom-board to be ironed. In order to hold the neckband'in expanded shape while the bosom is being i'roned, a Vneckband-shaper is inserted when its parts are in closed or contracted position in the said neckband, and the shaper is then opened or spread apart to expand-the neckband.' While the bosom is being ironed, its material can be stretched and pressed by the iron in directions away from the already-ironed neckband.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an improved neckband-shaper which will exert an automatic spring-pressure on the expanded neckband and which when in contracted position will automatically hold itself closed against the action of -the outwardly-pressing spring; and anotherobject of the invention is to provide. a neckbandshaper with means whereby its marginal contour may be changed when desired to give different shapes to the expanded neckband.

The invention 'consists in certain construc.

the auxiliary sections or plates employed to change the marginal contour of the neckband- Shaper. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of said plates. Fig. 6 is a similar view of another plate.

The improved neckband-shaper comprises two curved sections a a', made of rigid or inelastic material, preferably cast metal, and pivotally connected together at one end, as

'by a hinge b.' OneV section ct' is provided -From one face of the saidbracket e, and preferably near the hinge b, projects al pin f, and a spring g is coiled around said pin, the two ends of said spring extending in opposite directionsv and each bearing against one of the pivoted sections a a', whereby to -press the free ends of the latter away from each other and hold the neckband-shaper open. To the said bracket e is secured'a stud'h. A drawarm t' is swiveled on said stud. Tosaid drawarm is secured a handle j, which facilitates turning the draw-arm, and one end of a curved link lo is secured by a joint 7c' to said drawarm and the other end secured by a pivot k2 to the opposite hinged section a.

When the hinged sections d ce of the shaper are in the closed'or contracted position illustrated in Fig. l, the stud h is nearer to the pivot k2, which joins the link k to the hinged section a, than is the joint 7o', which joins said Llink to the draw-arm ,andwhen the said hinged sections are in theopen or spreadapartposition illustrated in Fig. 2 said stud h is farther from the pivot kgthan is the joint 7c.

In order todraw the two hinged sections of the neck-band Shaper togetherLthe swiveling draw-arm is turnedo'n its stud in the direction indicated by the dart in Fig. 2, and so soon as the joint- 7e. connecting the draw-arm and link reaches a position where the axis of the stud 7L lies between the joint and pivot and past the center line drawn between the axis of joint k and pivot k2 the tension of the spring g, acting to spread the two sections a a, will draw the concave edge of the link against the draw-arm, and thereby automat- ICO imaginary center line drawn straight between the axis of the joint la' and the axis of the pivot k2. When the draw-arm e' is turned in the direction reverse to that shown by the dart, the spring g will press the two hinged sections to the open position just so soon as the joint 7o' passes to the other side of the center linejust described.

The two pivoted sections illustrated in the accompanying drawings are each approximately of semiheart shape, which is the shape generally desired for certain grades of shirts; but it is sometimes desired to shape a neckband in slightly-different forms, and for this purpose I have provided means, which will be now described, to temporarily alter the marginal contour of the shaper sections. Each of the said sections ct a is provided in its side edges with a plurality of notches-in the present instance there are three notches in each side edge and designated Z l Z2, respectively-and four relatively short curved plates or auxiliary sections m n are provided with lugs m and n', respectively, which take in said notches, as indicated in Fig. 4, in order to detachably hold said plates on said sections. Itis obvious that either the two shorter plates m or longer plates n may be used with or without the other two plates, so that the neckband may be shaped in dierent forms, and the said plates are preferably made of spring metal, so that they will securely retain themselves in place on their respective sections. The said detachable plates are of course of different curvature than the sections to which they are intended to be attached.

In practice the neckband of the shirt is Iirst ironed and its portions fastened together by collar-buttons. The shirt is then drawn over a bosomboard. The shaper, with its sections closed together, is inserted within the alreadyironed neckband and is then sprung open, so that its two sections will press outwardly against the neckband and hold the same in proper shape, and the bosom of the shirt is then ironed.

In those appended claims in which the detachable plates or auxiliary sections 'm or n are recited the pivoted sections a a' are for the sake of clearness called main sections.

While the accompanying drawings illustrate one form of the invention, it is to be understood that changes in the shape and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A neckband shaper, comprising two shaper-sections pivotally connected together at one end; a link pivoted at one end to one of said Shaper-sections; and a swiveled drawarm carried by the other Shaper-section, said draw-arm and the other end of said link being jointed together and arranged so that the joint between said draw-arm and link may be moved past a center line connecting the axis of the pivot between said link and its Shaper-section, and the axis about which said draw-arm is swiveled, whereby to hold said two Shaper-sections locked in closed position, as set forth.

2. A neckband shaper, comprising two curved Shaper-sections of inelastic material hinged together at one end and one of said sections provided with a bracket extending inwardly toward the other section; a drawarm swiveled on said bracket and provided with a handle; a curved link jointed to said draw-arm and pivoted to the other hinged section; and a lspring tending to press the free ends of said Shaper-sections apart, as set forth.

3. A neckband-shaper, comprising curved main sections hinged together at 011e end; means for spreading said sections apart; and spring auxiliary sections of different degrees of curvature than the said main sections and adapted to be detachably secured to the latter, as set forth.

4. A neckband-shaper, comprising curved main sections pivotally connected together and provided with notches; means for spreading said sections apart; and auxiliary sections provided with lugs to take into said notches.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

DAVID B. ASHMAN.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK S. STITT, GHAnLEs L. VIETSCH. 

